Tourism/Hospitality
Washington Hotel Industry Has Cut Nearly One Quarter of Jobs Due to Pandemic
Nationally, more than 1.9 million hotel-related jobs have been lost due to the pandemic
By Nat Rubio-Licht October 1, 2020
A report from the American Hotel and Lodging Association found that more than 23% of hotel-related jobs in Washington state have been lost since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
The report found that 44,021 of the 190,566 hotel-related jobs in Washington have been lost due to the pandemic. Nationally, more than 1.9 million hotel-related jobs have been lost due to the pandemic, amounting to around 23% of positions in the U.S. hotel industry.
The report estimates that without another coronavirus relief bill from Congress, thousands more jobs in Washington and millions more nationally will be lost.
Hotels are cornerstones of the communities they serve, building strong local economies and supporting millions of jobs, says Chip Rogers, president and CEO of the American Hotel and Lodging Association. Thousands of hotels across America are in jeopardy of closing forever, and that will have a ripple effect throughout our communities for years to come.
Despite the blow that the tourism industry has suffered, some companies are attempting to grow amid the pandemic. Korean hotel chain Lotte Hotels & Resorts recently opened a 189-room luxury hotel in the 44-story F5 Tower on Fifth Avenue in Seattle.